Yu Hao stood frozen in place.
His mind was blank.
Where was he?
Who was he?
Why was he even here?
The three questions of the soul.
For the past ten days, one thought had supported him.
Wake up before dawn.
Train until nightfall.
Push Torchic harder every single day.
All for one goal—
Defeat Gu Qiu.
But now?
Defeat him?
With what?
Was that even possible?
His heart suffered a crushing blow.
At that moment, Yu Hao finally understood something.
In this lifetime—
He would never catch up.
He had worked desperately just to raise Torchic from Level 7 to Level 10.
Meanwhile…
Gu Qiu's Pokémon had risen from Level 5 to Level 24.
Ten days.
Just ten days.
That gap was so large it made people despair.
Nearby—
Mei stared at Gu Qiu in astonishment.
Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
Not only was he handsome…
His talent was terrifying.
Too outstanding.
Wait… wait…
Mom always said—
If you meet such a high-quality boy, you must seize the opportunity.
Should she…?
Mei suddenly shook her head vigorously.
What was she thinking?!
Just then—
The referee's voice echoed again.
"The second round will begin shortly!"
Her attention snapped back to the battlefield.
On the arena floor—
Brock studied Frogadier carefully.
"Interesting."
"I didn't quite understand the move you used earlier."
"But the power was undeniable."
He looked at Gu Qiu.
"No wonder Lady Lorelei speaks so highly of you."
Brock recalled the call he received last night.
Lorelei had personally contacted him.
She asked him to keep an eye on a young trainer named Gu Qiu.
He might come to challenge Pewter Gym.
Brock belonged to Lorelei's faction.
And in all these years—
He had never seen her value a young trainer so highly.
Naturally, he asked why.
After a brief silence—
Lorelei had replied with a calm voice.
"This Gu Qiu is exceptional."
"Even my younger self may not compare."
"You'll understand once you battle him."
Brock had been stunned.
Lorelei—
A legendary prodigy of Kanto.
She became a Titled King at only twenty-three.
Her talent rivaled even Champion Lance.
One of the strongest candidates for the Champion position.
Yet even she said—
Her younger self couldn't compare?
Now, after witnessing the first battle—
Brock could indeed sense Gu Qiu's brilliance.
But—
That alone wasn't enough.
Brock raised another Poké Ball.
"Come out—Omanyte!"
A flash of light burst onto the field.
A spiral-shelled Pokémon landed on the battlefield.
Its tentacles twitched as it stared at Frogadier.
Pokémon: Omanyte
Ability: Swift Swim
Type: Rock / Water
Aptitude: Mid-Grade
Level: 31 (Elite)
Moves:
• Wrap
• Withdraw
• Leer
• Water Gun
• Bite
• Rock Throw
• Protect
Level 31.
Mid-grade aptitude.
Even as a Gym Leader, Brock didn't possess many high-grade Pokémon.
High-grade Pokémon were rare.
Even Quasi-King or King-level trainers usually had only a few of them as their core team.
Most Gym Leaders only owned one or two Top-Grade Pokémon.
The rest of their roster—
High-grade at best.
"Rock and Water…"
Gu Qiu murmured quietly.
With its Water typing, Omanyte wouldn't fear Frogadier's Water attacks.
"So Brock's getting serious."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
Across the battlefield—
Brock smiled faintly.
"Omanyte—use Leer!"
Omanyte's eyes flashed.
A strange glare shot toward Frogadier.
Defense reduction.
A classic support move.
Frogadier had already fought one battle.
Naturally—
It had consumed some stamina.
Under normal circumstances…
Winning this round would be difficult.
But Gu Qiu simply smiled.
"Frogadier—Tailed Beast Cloak."
Boom.
A crimson energy suddenly erupted from Frogadier's body.
But this time—
It was different.
The chakra cloak was tighter.
More condensed.
More stable.
The crimson energy wrapped around Frogadier like a living flame.
Its power surged violently.
Frogadier's mastery over the form had clearly improved.
"What is that power?!"
Brock's pupils shrank.
He could feel it.
That crimson energy…
Was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Frogadier's eyes turned blood-red.
Its aura exploded outward.
Omanyte's Leer struck—
But it seemed completely ineffective.
The oppressive energy overwhelmed it.
"What is that?"
The audience stared in confusion.
None of them had ever seen power like this before.
"Frogadier—attack at full speed."
The moment the command fell—
Frogadier vanished.
It moved like a gust of wind.
In Tailed Beast Cloak form—
It didn't even need techniques.
Raw physical power alone was terrifying.
"Omanyte—Withdraw!"
Brock reacted instantly.
Facing unknown power—
Defense was the safest option.
Omanyte retreated into its shell.
But—
Too late.
BOOM!
Frogadier's kick slammed into the shell.
The impact thundered across the battlefield.
If Omanyte hadn't used Withdraw—
That single strike might have ended the battle.
Even so—
Omanyte was blasted into the air.
Its shell spun wildly through the sky.
"Frogadier—follow up!"
Gu Qiu's voice was sharp.
"Continuous strikes!"
No fancy techniques.
No complicated strategy.
Just relentless offense.
Frogadier shot upward.
Punch.
Kick.
Strike.
Blow after blow landed like a storm.
"This is bad…"
Shock flashed through Brock's eyes.
"Omanyte is dizzy—it can't defend!"
Another round…
And he might lose again?
Bang!
Omanyte finally crashed heavily onto the battlefield.
The stone floor trembled.
Before it could even recover—
Frogadier's final strike descended.
Boom!
The impact echoed through the arena.
Omanyte fainted instantly.
Silence.
For a brief moment—
The entire Pewter Gym fell completely quiet.
Then—
The arena exploded.
Gasps.
Shouts.
Dozens of spectators had already risen from their seats.
Their faces filled with disbelief.
Two battles.
Two victories.
And this time—
Against a Level 31 Elite Pokémon.
Crushing.
Absolute suppression.
On the battlefield—
Under the crimson chakra cloak—
Frogadier stood proudly.
Like a warrior bathed in scarlet flames.
And beside it—
Gu Qiu.
Calm.
Composed.
As if this result—
Had always been inevitable.
Across the battlefield—
Brock slowly exhaled.
Then—
He reached for his final Poké Ball.
His eyes had completely changed.
"Looks like…"
"This battle just became very interesting."
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
Claim early access on Patreon: patreon.com/c/LuneWriter
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:
💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter
🔷 200 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.